Mexican-Style Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps (20-Minute Recipe)
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These ground beef lettuce wraps are proving to be a favorite in our house. The recipe is a fun, healthy twist on traditional beef tacos, without sacrificing flavor. The dish comes together in just 20 minutes, packed with ground meat and avocado slices, and infused with medicinal herbs and spices for an authentic Mexican flavor. Fresh and crunchy lettuce wraps hug the creamy, meaty filling and keep the goodies wrapped up like a taco shell.
These wraps are one of the most requested meals for spring and summer but let’s be real, probably every season moving forward because they’re light and satisfying. They make an excellent lunch or weeknight meal on busy days when you want something quick, healthy, and satisfying.
This delicious protein-packed dish is so versatile that you can prepare it ahead of time or make it a fun DIY activity, like a taco bar at weekend gatherings where everyone can chop and assemble their own wraps. It’s a pretty platter for entertaining!
No matter how you go about it, this recipe couldn’t be easier to prepare. It’s one of many great low-carb 30-minute meals you can enjoy any day of the week. Go ahead, give it a try!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
These healthy ground beef lettuce wraps are the perfect crave-buster. They’re simple and delicious, they’re a must-add to your weekly meal rotation. Here are some reasons I love it:
- Simple ingredients: no fancy ingredients; uses plenty of pantry staples and common culinary herbs and spices.
- Budget-friendly: great way to stretch your shopping budget (especially when ingredients are bought in bulk like ground beef and coconut oil) while eating real, healthy food.
- Short prep and cooking time: have the dish ready in 20 minutes or less.
- Amazing flavors: rich and savory, seasoned with a Mexican-inspired blend of warm and earthy turmeric and aromatic spices, and a refreshing contrast from fresh and crunchy lettuce.
- Family-friendly and kid-approved: kids can choose their toppings and assemble their own wraps.
- Basic kitchen equipment: everything comes together in a single large skillet.
- Easy-to-follow directions: no complicated instructions, with most of your time spent on prepping and cooking ingredients.
Simple cooking is the best for daily meals like these lettuce wraps. I can add Mexican flavors to a pound of ground beef and have it ready in minutes. Using fresh herbs is also a great way to keep your taste buds excited. Read more about the magic of herbs and spices in The Ketogenic Edge Cookbook.
How to Make Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps
With my daughter requesting ground beef lettuce wraps at least once a week, I could probably make them in my sleep! It’s one of those recipes that people think is complicated to make, but it really couldn’t be easier.
It has two main ingredients and is ready to serve in 20 minutes. This version is easy and doesn’t require a lot of chopping or prep work. Simply season and sauté your ground beef, add herbs and spices to taste, and simmer until the meat is tender. Finish off by wrapping your meat filling with fresh lettuce and garnish with avocado slices and sour cream. That’s it!
Scroll to the bottom of this post for a printable recipe card with a full list of ingredients, measurements, and step-by-step instructions to make this fresh and flavorful ground beef lettuce wrap recipe.
Ingredients You Need
Ground beef lettuce wraps are easy to make but even easier to gobble down. My recipe uses simple, everyday ingredients that will keep you from going to the store and buying a few items that may just end up at the back of your fridge for weeks. These fresh, whole-food ingredients make all the difference in flavor and texture:
- Salt
- Garlic
- Cilantro
- Red onion
- Coconut oil
- Sour cream
- Ground cumin
- Ground black pepper
- Avocado: large, sliced or diced.
- Turmeric root powder: adds a warm and earthy flavor to the wraps.
- Ground beef: use grass-fed beef that’s 80% lean or higher. Source your meats as locally as possible. If you don’t have a local option, check out US Wellness for their grass-fed and grass-finished meats. They even offer a packaged deal of 25-pound bulk ground beef.
- Lettuce: butter lettuce gives a nice crunch to the meal, but any type of green leafy lettuce should work as long as they’re wide, crispy, and can hold up the filling.
Step-By-Step Instructions
This ground beef lettuce wrap recipe is light and healthy yet still comforting in the way only good Mexican-inspired dishes can be. The meaty and flavorful filling paired with the crunch of fresh lettuce is nothing short of mouthwatering. Get it on the table in 20 minutes and serve it as a full-on meal. Follow these steps to make lettuce wraps effortlessly:
- Cook the ground beef filling. In a skillet, warm the oil and add the turmeric powder and black pepper. Add the ground beef and spices to the mixture and fry.
- Prepare the lettuce. Add cilantro and onion at the last minute and cook until the meat is done. Prepare the butter lettuce leaves on a serving plate, using two leaves per wrap. Fill each shell evenly with the filling and garnish with avocado and sour cream.
Variations
This is such a versatile dish that you can pretty much add whatever toppings you like. Here are a few variations and substitutions that I like:
- Use a combination of ground pork and beef instead of just beef.
- Go for something leaner like ground turkey or ground chicken.
- Replace butter lettuce with romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, or Boston bibb lettuce.
- If lettuce isn’t your thing, replace it with a cauliflower tortilla, flatbread, or a 5-Ingredient Keto Flatbread as a tortilla-like disc.
- Bulk up the filling by adding a bunch of veggies like chopped bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, tomatoes, or onions.
- Garnish with finely chopped green onions, ground ginger, cilantro, sesame seeds, or pickle relish.
- Sprinkle some crumbled queso fresco, pico de gallo, or crushed tortilla chips.
- For an extra kick, add some sriracha or chili powder.
Expert Tips
- Taste and adjust! Test-taste the meat filling while cooking so you can get to know the dish and adjust the seasonings as you like best. Spices like turmeric have a strong taste, so balance it with other seasonings or omit it entirely.
- Make serving fun! If you have kids or picky eaters in the house, skip pre-making the lettuce wraps and put out all the ingredients in a serving tray or separate plates so the whole family can mix and match to make their own. It’s a helpful trick, especially if you have kids who aren’t so adventurous with new food.
- Keep the lettuce from getting soggy. Rince the lettuce in cold water to clean it and place on parchment paper to keep it dry. Make sure to use wide, sturdy lettuce and avoid overfilling the wraps with the meat filling to prevent them from breaking apart. The rule of thumb is to fill each shell with no more than ¼ cup of the filling and to not let them sit for too long.
How to Store This Recipe
Depending on your preference, you can serve ground beef lettuce wraps warm or cold. Just make sure the beef mixture isn’t hot as it will wilt the lettuce. If you have leftovers or are making the recipe ahead of time, store the beef mixture in an airtight container and the lettuce in a paper towel-lined container. They should keep fresh in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
You can also freeze the mixture in a freezer-safe bag for up to 30 days. Thaw the frozen mixture overnight in the fridge before eating.
To reheat, transfer the mixture to a skillet and sauté over medium heat until warmed through. You can also microwave it in 30-second intervals. Assemble the wraps only when you’re ready to eat to avoid the lettuce from getting soggy.
What to Serve with Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps
Ground beef lettuce wraps can be enjoyed as a standalone meal but if you want to take it up a notch, you can pair it with a variety of sides and complementary dishes. You can serve them with:
- Simple salad with mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and light vinaigrette dressing
- A bowl of brown rice, cauliflower rice, or mashed cauliflower
- Grilled or stir-fried vegetables like bell peppers, onions, corn, carrots, or jalapeños
- Kimchi or sauerkraut
- Baked or air-fried sweet potatoes seasoned with paprika and served with a side of dipping sauce
- Freshly made guacamole or avocado salsa for dipping or topping
More Easy Beef Recipes to Try
- Ground Beef Stroganoff
- Cajun Dirty Rice with Ground Beef
- Stir-Fried Ground Beef and Broccoli
- Cheesy Beef and Broccoli Casserole
Did you make these ground beef lettuce wraps? I’d love to know how they turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below.
Lettuce Wraps with Turmeric Infused Ground Beef
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 teaspoons turmeric root powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- ¼ small red onion diced
- 8 leaves butter lettuce
- 1 large avocado sliced or diced
- 4 tablespoons sour cream
Instructions
- Warm the coconut oil over medium-low heat in a skillet. Add the turmeric and black pepper. Heat for a minute or two.
- Place the meat in the oil and break apart with a spatula. Add the garlic, cumin and salt. Pan fry.
- In the last minute of cooking, add the cilantro and onion. Cook until meat is done.
- Arrange your leaves on a serving plate, use two leaves per wrap. Divide the meat evenly into each of the shells, top with avocado and sour cream.
Nutrition & Macros
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Thanks 🙂 One should be protein, I’ll fix it right now
In the macros, “fat” was written twice instead of “protein”. I can’t wait to make some yellow meat! How integral to the flavor is onion, in your opinion?